Charlotte ranks No. 11 in the country for 'most aggressive drivers,' study says

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) - When it comes to aggressive drivers, a new study says the streets of Charlotte are some of the worst in the country.

There have been several incidents involving guns and road rage. On Wednesday morning a woman's car was shot at after she cut someone off, and last week, a woman says she had a gun pointed at her head after trying to get someone to stop tailgaiting.

"I can believe it," a Charlotte neighbor said.

Most drivers FOX 46 spoke with say they aren't surprised the Queen City is in the headlights for aggressive driving.

"People just do dumb stuff," said another.

The city is ranked #11 in the United States for 'most aggressive drivers,' according to a recent study done by GasBuddy, riding the rear of cities like Detroit, Austin, and Las Vegas.

"That's a little high. Wait… that's really high!”

It's a simple fact that no one ever says the drivers in their hometown are safe and follow the rules of the road. No way. They are selfish and erratic. But who's got it the worst?

Los Angeles and Philadelphia top the charts, and some say transplants from other areas may have something to do with the ranking.

"I’ve seen it grow over the years. A lot of people coming in-- a lot of Northerners."

"A lot of people have come in from a lot of aggressive states and bring their attitudes with them."

Frustrations flared Wednesday morning when a woman's car was shot at for cutting off a car on Independence Boulevard. Her tires were blown out by bullets.

Drivers in Charlotte say they’ve seen it all, and some are urging us all to pack a little more patience.

"If you just do the right thing, a lot of things won’t bother you."

GasBuddy analyzed data from an optional feature that helps users keep track of their driving habits and gives them suggestions on how to preserve fuel.

The study examined the 30 largest metropolitan areas by population and concluded these 15 cities have the most aggressive drivers:

1. Los Angeles

2. Philadelphia

3. Sacramento, Calif.

4. Atlanta

5. San Francisco

6. San Diego

7. Orlando, Fla.

8. Detroit

9. Austin, Texas

10. Las Vegas

11. Charlotte

12. Pittsburgh

13. Phoenix

14. Boston

15. Dallas-Fort Worth

Additional findings include:

Frustrating Fridays: Motorists are 1.2x more likely to encounter aggressive driving on Friday than on Wednesday. The most aggressive day on the road is Friday, with 14 percent more aggressive driving events occurring compared to the average across the United States. The least aggressive day on the road is Wednesday, with 6 percent fewer aggressive driving events occurring compared to the average across the United States.

Wearing Out the Brakes (All Week): The most frequent aggressive driving habit on weekdays is hard braking, followed by rapid acceleration and speeding. On weekends, the most frequent aggressive driving habit continues to be hard braking, followed by speeding and rapid acceleration.

San Diego’s Need for Speed: While cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia take the top spots in regards to hard braking and rapid acceleration, San Diego, Orlando and Detroit take the top three spots for cities with the most speeding incidents.

For a complete list of GasBuddy's top 30 cities with the most aggressive drivers and top 30 cities by hard-breaking incidents, please click here.